Utilization of an educational web based mobile app for acquisition and transfer of critical anatomical knowledge, thereby increasing classroom and laboratory preparedness in veterinary students

Abstract

Contact time with students is becoming more valuable and must be utilized efficiently. Unfortunately, many students attend anatomy lectures and labs ill-prepared, and this limits efficiency. To address this issue we have created an interactive mobile app designed to facilitate the acquisition and transfer of critical anatomical knowledge in veterinary students, thereby increasing classroom and laboratory preparedness. We have found that in contrast to a traditional reading assignment, utilization of such an app to introduce students to a subject area significantly enhanced the initial learning of anatomy and the transfer of that learned material to a related, but novel area. We propose that students using the apps were subsequently better prepared for lecture and lab, than students using the more traditional method of reading a textbook. Exposure of students to a topic prior to lecture and laboratory, using methods that students embrace, can only lead to a more efficient and better educational experience.